Few television shows have had the cultural impact of The X-Files, a series that seamlessly blended mystery, horror, and science fiction while exploring the unknown. But beyond the government conspiracies, alien abductions, and terrifying monsters, The X-Files also had an incredible ability to balance humor and heart, and no episode exemplifies this better than Season 2, Episode 20: “Humbug.”
Written by Darin Morgan, one of the show’s most celebrated writers, Humbug was a bold departure from the usual tone of The X-Files. Instead of focusing solely on eerie suspense, the episode offered something completely different—a surreal, self-aware, and oddly poignant dive into a world of circus freaks, sideshow performers, and societal outcasts. It was The X-Files at its most experimental, yet also one of its most human episodes.
A Case Unlike Any Other
The episode begins with FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) traveling to Gibsonton, Florida—a town famous for being a retirement community for circus performers—to investigate a series of bizarre murders. The victims are found mutilated, with evidence suggesting the killer has an inhuman physiology—possibly a creature or a deformed individual hiding among the town’s odd residents.
As Mulder and Scully begin questioning the local population, they find themselves completely out of their element. Instead of dealing with conventional suspects, they encounter real-life sideshow performers, including The Enigma (a famous tattooed performer who eats live insects) and Michael J. Anderson (of Twin Peaks fame), who plays a former circus performer turned skeptical law enforcement officer. The town is filled with people who spent their lives being judged for their appearance, performing for audiences who see them as freaks, and they aren’t particularly fond of Mulder and Scully’s intrusion.
Humor, Subversion, and the Absurd
What makes Humbug stand out is its self-awareness and playful tone. Up until this point, The X-Files had a reputation for being deadly serious, with only occasional sarcastic remarks from Mulder to break the tension. But here, humor becomes an essential part of the story.
From the moment Mulder and Scully arrive in Gibsonton, they are confronted with people who challenge their own perceptions of normalcy. Mulder, always eager to believe in the supernatural, struggles to distinguish between what’s real and what’s an act. Meanwhile, Scully, who prides herself on scientific skepticism, finds herself being the more gullible of the two in this bizarre world of misdirection and illusion.
One of the episode’s most memorable scenes comes when a performer named Dr. Blockhead (Jim Rose), an eccentric escape artist, gives a monologue about how society’s obsession with “normal” is far stranger than anything the sideshow community does for a living. He argues that the “freaks” of Gibsonton are actually more honest than the so-called “normal” people of the world—an idea that resonates deeply by the end of the episode.
A Thought-Provoking Exploration of Outsiders
While Humbug is undeniably funny, it also has a deeply emotional core. At its heart, the episode is about society’s treatment of those who don’t fit into conventional beauty standards or definitions of normalcy. The townspeople of Gibsonton have spent their lives being gawked at, ridiculed, and misunderstood, and they see Mulder and Scully as just another audience coming to point fingers.
The brilliance of the episode lies in how it forces both Mulder and the audience to reflect on what it means to be an outsider. The supposed “monster” in this episode isn’t a supernatural entity, but rather the cruelty of a world that treats certain people as less-than-human. This theme is driven home in the final act when the true killer is revealed—a parasitic twin who lived in secret, only surfacing to commit murders. The metaphor is clear: even in a community of outcasts, there are still those who must hide away, deemed too grotesque even among their own.
Why Humbug Still Holds Up Today
Released in 1995, Humbug was ahead of its time. In an era when most TV shows avoided tackling themes of body image, societal perception, and otherness, this episode did so in a way that was both entertaining and meaningful. The writing doesn’t mock the sideshow performers but instead celebrates their individuality and resilience, making them some of the most fully realized and humanized characters of the series.
Moreover, Humbug is a prime example of how The X-Files was unafraid to take risks with its storytelling. At the time, a comedic episode in a sci-fi/horror show was a gamble, but it paid off spectacularly. It became a fan favorite, solidified Darin Morgan’s reputation as one of the best writers in television, and opened the door for future episodes that blended horror with humor (Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose, Jose Chung’s From Outer Space).
Final Thoughts: The Legacy of Humbug
In the grand landscape of The X-Files, Humbug remains one of the most unique and memorable episodes in the show’s history. It stands as a testament to how genre television can be funny, self-reflective, and deeply poignant all at once.
By turning the lens on how society defines normal and abnormal, Humbug invites us to question our own biases. It reminds us that the real monsters aren’t the so-called “freaks”—but rather the people who refuse to see beyond the surface.
As one of the best examples of ’90s television pushing boundaries, Humbug is a must-watch for both fans of The X-Files and anyone interested in storytelling that dares to be different.